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Hi! A first time visit is always exciting!! Have you told the kids that you will be going or will It be a surprise? Are your children boys or girls? We have been 3 times and each time we discover more and more things to do! Make sure that you book any dining reservations as soon as you can (180 days ahead of time) to ensure you get in to the places you want.

Welcome! First things first, figure out your budget. Then go online and find info about each park and figure out which park you think you will be going to the most. If you decide to stay on property, that will bring you to picking your resort choice. Its nice to stay at a resort close to where you will be most of the time. We like to go to a park during the day and then end at epcot so we chose Beach Club this time around. If magic Kingdom is your top park then choose a monerail resort or wilderness lodge.

There are three categories of resorts Value (lowest price but might not be good for a family of 5), moderate resorts (decent prices but more expensive then value) then the deluxe resorts which are by far the most luxurious and the cost the highest).

break it down into what you need to decide. things like "do you want to stay onsite or offsite?" will you be spending all of your time at the wdw parks or will you hit legoland or harrypotterworld (i.e. "universal") as well?

the boards have all the info you need, but if you want to get a book, the unofficial guide is a great resource.

Yes, I'd say start with a guidebook - something with photos, so you get visuals of what the things are...I like the Birnbaum guide. Passporter guidebooks also have photos and a LOT of info but are a fairly easy read. Also the "Walt Disney World 2013 With Kids" is very good - no pics, though.

Second, study these boards! If you have a question, start with a "search" because everyone's already asked pretty much everything - your answer is likely on here already.

Third, include the whole family in the planning and let them pick about 3 "must-do" activities for the day, no matter where you end up. Definitely bring a lot of money on your trip and a good attitude. Take rest breaks. Get in shape beforehand, wear comfy shoes and hydrate.

I just wanted to say We are also planning our first trip for Feb. of this year. My kids will be almost 10, 7, and almost 4 when we travel. We debated staying off site, but we are opting for POR this time. Those rooms are moderates and can accommodate 5 ppl (in case that would be a good fit for your family).

You can figure out what your budget is, then start pricing out different rooms that can accommodate 5 online. That helped us settle on POR, as we weren't saving as much off site as I had thought. We were looking at a house in Windsor Hills vs. a condo.

You can also play with ticket prices and figure out how many days you want to stay. That may help you narrow down your resort, and how many days you want to stay. Do you want to do a higher level resort (mod or deluxe for example) for fewer days? Or do you have time for a longer stay and want to stay at a mod or value? Or is your budget flexible, and you just want what is most convenient and luxurious?